Safety in Physical Activity

 Exercise is generally good for you but  precautions have to be taken to avoid:

•Acute conditions i.e. those that occur suddenly and are typically of a short duration  

 • Chronic conditions i.e. those that tend to develop gradually and are long lasting

•   If a person is unfit and then takes part in strenuous exercise they risk suffering a heart attack, especially if they already have heart disease. Even fit people have a small risk of a heart attack when doing demanding exercise

• Heart attacks is when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked, often by a blood clot, causing damage to the affected muscle

• Strokes a condition in which the brain cells suddenly die because of a lack of oxygen. This can be caused by an obstruction in the blood flow, or the rupture of an artery that feeds the brain
•  These are most likely to occur in people with high blood pressure
• Exercise causes a temporary increase in blood pressure. In an older person and someone who is quite unfit there is an increased risk of a stroke •Fit people generally have lower blood pressure so there is less risk although the risk is still slightly increased when doing strenuous exercise

What are the most serious injuries in physical activity and sport?

• Head and spinal damage
• Bone fractures
• Joint dislocations
• Contact sports have  a higher risk of injury such as rugby and boxing as against an activity such as running or dancing  

•  More common acute injuries are those to muscles and joints
• Sprains
• Strains
• Bruising
• Hypothermia
• Cuts    

• Unfit
• Inexperienced
• Those who exercise close to the limit of their ability

Why are older people more at risk?

• Less flexible
• Brittle bones
• Less elastic cartilage cushioning the joints
• Injuries slower to heal
• Older people

• avoiding dehydration
• warm-up and warm-down programmes
• appropriate equipment and clothing
•  the correct use of monitoring equipment
•  getting expert advice before starting exercise
• having a medical check before starting exercise

• Can reveal previously undiagnosed illness
• Important for people who are unfit or who have not taken much exercise before
• Prevents over exertion

• Helps to maximise the benefits of exercise and minimise risks
• Helps to decide what type of exercise and level of demand
• Advice provided by personal trainer, physiotherapist or fitness instructor
• Instructs beginners in the use of safety equipment

• The first reason is to decide at what level of demand the exercise programme should be
• The second reason is to obtain a baseline measure of fitness so later assessments can show progress
• Before taking up exercise an assessment a persons fitness should be made e.g. spirometry, Vo2 Max, BMI

• Temperature control clothing (prevents injury by keeping muscles and joints warm)
• Non restrictive clothing
• Correct size racquets/bats
• Running shoes
• Shin/elbow pads
• Eye protection
•  Mouth guards
• Buoyancy aids
• Helmets

 Why do we need to warm-up?

Two parts, the first is to raise the heart rate, the second is to stretch and warm the muscles, joints and tendons

• Raise temperature,
• heats up muscles and tendons
• increase cardiac output and respiration
• Prepare mentally
• Prevent injury

• Warming down gives time for the blood vessels to contract while maintaining blood pressure This leads to temporary reduction in blood pressure
• After exercise, cardiac output begins to drop and yet the blood vessels are still dilated
• Reduces dizziness-Oxygen is taken to skeletal muscles during exercise
• Lactic acid is removed quicker and more efficiently if a person maintains a high metabolic rate i.e. keep exercising gently This causes pain and cramps
• Helps to get rid of lactic acid when a person has exceeded the anaerobic threshold (AT is the point where lactate (lactic acid) begins to accumulate in the bloodstream)
• Prevents injuries, cramps and soreness after exercise

•  Exercise results in a loss of water from the body (breathed out and as sweat)
• Some athletes drink water with rehydration salts to replace salt lost through sweating
•  when doing an activity such as running in hot weather It is important to replace water by drinking before and after exercise
• Dehydration can cause an increase in heart rate and breathing rate, dizziness, confusion and headaches